


what's yours is mine

by antenism



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Feelings Realization, First Kiss, Light Angst, M/M, Secret Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:48:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24390817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/antenism/pseuds/antenism
Summary: "It must be painful," Aira said conversationally. "Your eyes are stinging red but you're still crying."
Relationships: Amagi Hiiro/Shiratori Aira
Comments: 6
Kudos: 128





	what's yours is mine

**Author's Note:**

> hi. [Punches you].

It was no surprise to anyone that Hiiro had been through hell in his life. Aira knew of some of the more traumatic periods, few told through monotone words that spoke of long, drawn out healing, and ones that were newer, fresher, unspoken; only noticed by Aira because he witnessed the brokenness happen before his eyes many times.

Of all the things one could know about Hiiro, few knew how _fragile_ he really was, under all that near-impenetrable skin and bone. He was still human, still inexperienced enough in life for emotions to boil over and rupture under the right (wrong) conditions.

It frightened Aira.

Not because Hiiro couldn't handle it. No, more the contrary: Hiiro Amagi always handled it, and he always handled it by himself, slipping away when his eyes became the lightest bit damp, when his words began failing him and something sunk in that Aira couldn't quite label yet. That 'something' made him nervous, like he was watching a natural disaster consistently form and cave in on itself over and over.

He was watching it happen now, in fact. Real time. ALKALOID had faded into a mostly silent lull, eating rations in an empty cafeteria and relaxing into a late evening, and Aira sensed a rigidness in the air, a stale constricting that felt claustrophobic, even to him.

He made the (purposeful) mistake of glancing toward Hiiro, just to check. His stomach churned, seeing... nothing. The dull blue of his eyes stared into nothing. Aira felt the fear settling in under his skin, as if anticipation for disaster became his essence. He still didn't know what happened to Hiiro during those times he talked to his older brother.

That, to him, was more unacceptable the more he saw Hiiro falling apart before his eyes.

So he made a decision.

He slowly stood up, spurring little noise into the atmosphere of the room. He tossed his trash, grabbing Hiiro's on the way, who didn't even notice.

As subtly as possible, Aira walked back up to Hiiro, sliding his hand under Hiiro's arm to coax him up from the table. It was much easier than he anticipated. Hiiro simply glided up with him, as if floating seamlessly into his guided touch.

Aira took advantage of that, gently tugging at Hiiro's sleeve so that he followed him through the darkened hall toward their shared room. 

He closed their door with enough care that the latch barely made a click. Hiiro stood before him, as Aira had pulled him enough in the room before shutting the door, and he looked at Hiiro with some non-zero amount of confusion.

Aira did not cross his arms. He did not walk forward. He did not show anything on his face other than a passive calm. He just stood there, arms at his sides, waiting.

Several tense moments passed. Hiiro's face, though not quite as expressive as usual, fluctuated rapidly between many tight emotions. Many times, it looked as if he was going to speak up; Aira half expected he might simply end up pushing him out of the way and exiting without a single word spoken, but it genuinely surprised him when he instead settled his expression and shortly said, "Move."

"I won't, Hiiro-kun" Aira said immediately, his voice far quieter than Hiiro's demand.

"Move, please, Aira..." Hiiro tried again. He wasn't meeting his eyes, both times he said it.

"No."

Aira knew Hiiro could move him, shove him aside. Aira knew Hiiro knew he could do this, too.

But he didn't. Not yet, anyway. Instead, Hiiro's eyes flitted everywhere around the room, almost frantically — they never really settled anywhere, and Aira felt that unsettledness in his stomach, fluttering like moths.

"Talk to me," Aira said softly. Hiiro jumped at that, his eyes threatening to water, lip quivering. If he could run away, Aira suspected he'd be miles out. "Tell me so you don't disappear again, Hiiro-kun."

Hiiro stopped moving after that, not even his eyes. He was pure steel in gaze and form. Aira almost reached out to him, choking back an alarmed noise as fists suddenly buried themselves just under the collar of his shirt.

His eyes hidden by scraggly brown bangs, Hiiro heaved in quickening breaths. A shameful touch of fear ran through Aira's blood before he quashed it. The fists tightened, loosened... tightened and loosened again, and Aira dared to reach out and place a hand behind Hiiro's head. He barely needed to push — Hiiro's head already started slowly tipping toward Aira's chest. Aira let out a long, relieved sigh once he felt his forehead touch at his collarbone, fists tightened again.

"I don't—" Hiiro wavered, in voice and in body. Aira steadied his shoulders with his other arm. "I don't... want to be alone... again, Aira."

Aira frowned, Hiiro's watery tone piercing through his chest worse than any blow from a blade. "I'm here."

Amagi let in a long breath, lifting Aira's arm with the sheer air brought in, and his next exhale was a sob that shook his entire frame. Aira held on as best as he could, his own eyes misting as his heart failed to carry the weight of the situation. But Hiiro's knees were shaking and his next cry sent them both falling to their knees.

He cradled Hiiro's head into his chest as he cried out with every atom in his body. Aira dug his fingers into Hiiro's shirt, his hair, anything to try and ground Hiiro back into a semblance of comfort. The clench in his chest forced a stuttering inhale that Aira tried desperately to abate. One of them had to remain in control.

"It's okay," he murmured, though he knew Hiiro wouldn't listen just yet. He brought his burrowed nose closer to his ear, letting his words come without having to speak up and startle him. "I'm here. It's okay, Hiiro-kun."

Another gut curling sob punched Aira directly in the stomach, almost literally as Hiiro's clenched fists rocked forward painfully. He winced, but bore it.

"I'm here now," he said. "I'm here until the world itself rips me from you. I'm here."

Long moments passed where Aira's fingers methodically roamed Hiiro's hair, his spine, his neck, whatever Hiiro always wondered was enough to comfort someone. Eventually, the crying became less vocal, Hiiro shifting his face to rub his eyes without his hands.

Aira tutted, pressing Hiiro closer and reaching to lift the solemn boy's face up. His eyes were stained red, irises still distant.

"It must be painful," Aira said conversationally. "Your eyes are stinging red but you're still crying." He dragged his thumb across Hiiro's cheek, interrupting the tear streaks and blotches.

To his own surprise, he found himself leaning in to press a gentle kiss to his cheek, right under his eye. Hiiro flinched, but after a strong sniffle, he huffed a small laugh. Ensconced, Aira wiped under the other eye and kissed there, too.

He ran a hand through the red hair once again. He continued to press kisses up Hiiro's forehead and on his hairline, trying to remedy the sadness hanging in the air. _Come back to me_ , said his touch. _Stay with me forever_ , _Hiiro-kun_. whispered his kisses.

_Don't let go_ , said his unspoken thoughts.

They stayed like that for a while, Aira continuously pressing his lips anywhere he could. He smiled, lightly disappointed at finding Hiiro fast asleep as soon as he found the courage to press one at the corner of his mouth.


End file.
